Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) participated in a virtual high-level event, ‘The Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen: Adverting an Outbreak of Famine’, hosted by the European Commission and the Swedish government on the sidelines of the 75th United Nations General Assembly yesterday.
The side event addressed the humanitarian situation in Yemen and the difficulty of the humanitarian response process, as well as the arrival of aid in the affected areas, QFFD said in a statement. The event shed light on the urgent and crucial humanitarian interventions required by the crisis.
The side event was attended by representatives of the United Nations and its agencies, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and non-governmental organisations.
In his speech, QFFD director-general Khalifa al-Kuwari stressed the importance of addressing the drivers of the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
“We stress the importance of seeking to put an end to this humanitarian tragedy, where the only way to resolve the crisis is through adherence to relevant Security Council resolutions in connection with Yemen,” he said.
He praised the effective role played by Qatar in supporting United Nations agencies, saying: “Qatar continues to support UN agencies to ensure that urgent, effective and life-saving assistance is provided to meet the urgent humanitarian needs in Yemen.”
He highlighted the current co-operation between QFFD and its strategic partners to address the humanitarian and development challenges prevalent in Yemen. “Through the support to Unicef, WFP, UNHCR and others and in co-operation with Qatar-based NGOs, programmes addressing food insecurity, mortality, morbidity and ‘WASH’ continue to be implemented.”
Al-Kuwari also called for the removal of restrictions impeding access of humanitarian aid in Yemen, saying: “Humanitarian assistance has become a lifeline for millions, and as such ensuring the delivery of assistance to all in need is crucial.”
He thanked all countries and actors for their continued support to the international response to the Yemen crisis.
“We renew our appreciation to all states and actors that work tirelessly to extend a helping hand to Yemenis in their plight.”
In a statement, QFFD said it continues to support humanitarian and development projects to help the brotherly Yemeni people. This includes a $70mn disbursement to Unicef to enhance the water and sanitation infrastructure and secure uninterrupted access to safe drinking water, benefiting more than 8mn people in Yemen. This is in addition to contributing to Unicef’s cholera response.
Moreover, in response to the UN warnings of the unprecedented and alarming levels of food insecurity driving Yemen to the brink of famine, QFFD and Qatar Charity partnered with the World Food Programme to provide emergency food assistance and secure minimum nutritional requirements in Yemen’s urban and semi-urban areas.
Further, addressing the high levels of morbidity and mortality and the weakened health infrastructure in Yemen, QFFD has partnered with Qatar Red Crescent Society and UNFPA to ensure the provision of comprehensive health services to enable health centres to provide emergency services. The project will soon be launched and is set to support more than 700,000 Yemenis.
Khalifa al-Kuwari and other participants of the high-level side event.
